A side-by-side refrigerator/freezer is produced with two separate thermoformed plastic liners in the form of tubs. One liner is for the freezer compartment. The other liner is for the refrigerator compartment. The liners are foamed-in-place, housed in a pre-painted steel shell and having a center vertical divider commonly referred to as a mullion rail.
Under high temperature or humidity conditions condensation may form on the front flange surface of the metal shell and the mullion rail owing to the relatively low temperature in the refrigerated compartments. To minimize any such condensation, manufacturers conventionally provide anti-sweat heaters in the flange area surrounding the refrigerated compartments, and the mullion rail. The heaters conventionally provided for such anti-sweat or anti-condensation function are relatively low wattage heaters so as to minimize energy loss in eliminating condensation of moisture on the exposed wall surfaces. Alternative designs use a conduit or tube connected in the sealed refrigeration system to conduct hot refrigeration gases. The use of such a tube requires that additional hardware be included to install the same, which adds to both part count and assembly labor.
The present invention is intended to overcome the problems discussed above in a novel and simple manner.